


Start of Something Beautiful

by 27summer



Category: Glee
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-28
Updated: 2014-04-28
Packaged: 2018-01-21 03:34:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1536101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/27summer/pseuds/27summer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For Quinntana Week Day 1- Quinntanna Begins. After Finn outs Santana, Quinn resolves to be there for her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Start of Something Beautiful

**Author's Note:**

> 3x6 Mash-Off, A few for 3x7 I Kissed A Girl but Brittany and Santana aren’t dating.

The blood rushed to Santana’s head. She felt like she was going to explode. Even slapping Finn hadn’t released the pressure. Everyone was staring at her, she couldn’t take it. The judgment from Mr. Schue and Ms. Corcoran, the sympathy from Quinn and Brittany. God, the understanding on Kurt and Blaine’s faces- that was the worst. She had to get away. Turning around, she ran off, ignoring the calls after her. She made it to her car and collapsed against it. She tried to calm down but she couldn’t. It was too much. Her life was falling apart.

“Santana.” Quinn pulled Santana into her arms, holding on as she started to cry. “Shh. It’ll be all right. It’s okay.”

“It’s not. Everyone’s going to know. My parents will freak.” Santana squeezed her eyes shut in an unsuccessful attempt to stop her tears.

“Okay, you’re right, that was a stupid thing to say.” Quinn rubbed circles on Santana’s back. “But I’m here. Whatever happens, I’m here for you.”

“Me, too.” Brittany caught up to them, placing a hand on Santana’s shoulder. “You’ve got us. Whatever you need.”

Stepping back, Santana wiped at her eyes. “That doesn’t help. What am I going to do? I have to tell my parents before the commercial airs. I- God, it’s a mess.”

“I’ll go with you. This is my fault, too.” Brittany shook her head. “I pushed you too much last year and now this happened.”

“No. Finn’s the one who shouted in the middle of the freaking hallway. There wasn’t a commercial before that.” Santana groaned. “He’s such an ass.”

“No kidding.” Quinn shot a look over her shoulder. “It looks like the pity patrol is coming to talk to you. We should get out of here.”

“Let me drive you.” Brittany held out a hand to Santana for her keys.

“No. I need to do this myself.” Santana tried to smile.

“Okay. Fine.” Quinn kissed her cheek. “We won’t push. But call me when it’s done. Let me know you’re safe.”

“I will.” Santana got into her car and waved before driving off. Quinn and Brittany watched as she left and exchanged worried glances. This wasn’t going to end will. They both had the feeling it was going to be bad.

\---------------

Quinn swore and tossed her phone on her night stand. Santana still hadn’t called. She didn’t want to bother her if she were in the middle of telling her parents but it had been hours since they talked. Quinn was worried. She needed to hear from Santana and make sure she was really okay. When her phone finally rang, she grabbed it, sighing in relief. “Santana? What happened?”

“I’m on your porch. Let me in.”

“Okay.” Quinn rushed downstairs, flinging the door open and gasping. “Oh my God.”

“Don’t. I can’t take sympathy right now.” Santana pushed her way into the house and sat on the couch. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not.” Quinn knelt in front of her, placing a hand on her knee. “Santana, you’re hurt. Please talk to me.”

“It’s nothing. A broken arm and a black eye. No concussion. My dad took me to the hospital and patched me up.” Santana chuckled bitterly, slapping Quinn’s hand away when she tried to touch her face.

“Talk to me. Tell me what happened.” Quinn climbed onto the couch. “Who did this?”

“I told them and Mom freaked. We were arguing and she tried to walk away. I followed her and she shoved me. I fell down the stairs.” Santana snorted. “Dad rushed me to the hospital. Bad enough Dr. Lopez’s daughter’s a lesbian, can’t have a child abuse charge.”

“Oh, Santana.” Quinn softly poked around Santana’s eye.

“No. No feeling sorry for me. I don’t want that.” Santana turned away.

“I know that and I don’t feel sorry for you.” Quinn forced Santana to look at her. “I care about you and you’re hurting.”

“It’s not that bad. I’ve got pain medication. We could get into Judy’s liquor stash and have some fun.” Santana smirked at Quinn’s scandalized expression. “Come on, it was a joke. Lighten up a little.”

“I can’t, Santana.” Quinn stopped, choking on a sob.

“Please don’t cry. I’m not good with tears.” Santana bit her lip, trying to think of something to say. “I’m okay and I came to see you. You were the first person I thought of when my dad said I needed to stay away from home for a while.”

“Really?” Quinn wiped her eyes.

“Yeah. I knew you’d make it better.” Santana ducked her head bashfully. “I hope it’s okay if I stay here a few days.”

Quinn nodded. She was glad there was something she could do to help her. “Of course. Whatever you need.”

“Are you sure your mom won’t care?”

“She won’t. She’s so glad my Skank phase is over, she’ll let me do anything.” Quinn smiled shakily. She was still so worried about Santana. She wished there was something more that she could do for her. “What else do you need?”

“I need you to be normal, okay? That’s why I came to you. We’re both bitches. I can’t deal with pity and softness.” Santana closed her eyes. “Is that okay?”

“I can do that.” Quinn stood up. “Come on. Let’s get you settled in the guest room.”

“I can sleep on the couch.” Santana followed Quinn. “I don’t want to be any trouble.”

Quinn rolled her eyes. “That’s what a guest room’s for. Now, do you want me to get you something to eat?”

“No.” Santana shook her head. “I’m all twisted inside. I can’t eat anything.”

“Okay.” Quinn went to leave the room, hesitating when she got to the door. “Do you want me to call Brittany?”

“I texted her and told her I was okay. I know she feels guilty but this wasn’t her fault.” Santana settled on the bed and looked up at Quinn. “I just can’t comfort her right now. Do you think that makes me a horrible person?”

“No, of course not.” Quinn rushed over to her, sitting on the edge of the bed. “There’s nothing wrong with taking care of yourself. I wasn’t implying anything. I just thought- she’s your girlfriend. I thought you’d want to talk to her.”

“Brittany’s not my girlfriend.”

“Santana, it’s fine. You don’t have to hide anymore. I mean, it’s all out there now.”

“I’m not hiding, I-” Santana looked down. “We decided we’re better off as friends.”

“What? Are you okay with that?”

“I am.” Santana sighed. “We waited too long. We missed our chance to be together. I hurt her and she hurt me. I love her and I’ll always be grateful to her for being there for me. But she’s my best friend and that’s all.”

“Oh, I- that’s very mature.” Quinn turned red and giggled a little. “God, I’m sorry. I sound like an idiot. I was just trying to help.”

Santana shrugged. “Don’t worry. I know it’s weird. I always thought we’d ended up together but we’re not.”

“I’m just glad you’ve got someone you can talk to.” Quinn looked at her. “I’d like you to talk to me, too. You know, if you want to.”

“I’d like that, too.” They shared a smile before awkwardly looking away.

“Um, maybe I’d better go, leave you alone for a minute.” Quinn started to stand but was stopped by Santana.

“No. Do you think you could stay with me? I don’t want to be alone,” Santana said shyly.

Quinn couldn’t contain her smile. “I can do that.”

“Can you talk to me a little? I need to be distracted.” Santana pressed her leg to Quinn’s when she settled next to her. She really needed the contact.

“Sure. Oh, I got a text from Kurt earlier. There’s some special Glee Club meeting tomorrow morning.” Quinn scoffed. “I bet everyone’s going to sing to you.”

Santana rolled her eyes. “Probably. I got messages from Mr. Schue and Ms. Corcoran. I have a meeting with Figgins before school tomorrow.”

“Oh, crap. Is there anything I can do?”

“You can pick up my homework after I get suspended.”

“Maybe it won’t be so bad. Maybe…” Quinn trailed off, knowing there wasn’t anything she could say. It likely would be pretty bad.

“Give me a break. Schue is going to cover for his golden boy. I’m getting screwed,” Santana snapped. She could appreciate that Quinn was trying to help but platitudes weren’t doing anything but pissing her off. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault. It’s just- you know how this is going to go.”

“I do. But I’ll be here through it all.” Quinn gave her a one-armed hug.

“You promise?”

“I promise.” Quinn squeezed her tightly, not willing to let go for a while.

\-------------

Leaving Mr. Figgin’s office, Santana spotted Quinn and made a beeline for her. “It’s official. I’m suspended for a week.”

“There’s nothing you can do about it?” Quinn asked, glaring at a few people who stopped to stare at them.

“Not unless I’m willing to kiss up to Finn and I’m sure as hell not doing that.” Santana noticed people looking at her. “The commercial’s not out yet, why is everyone looking at me? That makes no sense.”

“It’s because of the black eye and broken arm.” Quinn put a hand on her shoulder. “Plus, there’s rumors going on about you and Finn.”

“That bastard’s set on ruining my life,” Santana muttered, growling when she saw Finn coming toward her. “Walk along, Lurch. The best part of my suspension is I don’t have to see your face for a week.”

“Don’t be like that, I’ll tell Figgins we were just acting.”

“Screw you. I’d cut off my hand and eat it before I ever let you help me.”

Finn frowned. “I want to fix this.”

“No, you don’t. You want to feel better. Well, forget it. You’re not going to play the hero here.” Santana tried to shove past him but he wouldn’t move.

“Get out of her way, Finn. Haven’t you done enough to her?” Quinn stared at him until he huffed and walked away.

“Thanks for that.” Santana smiled gratefully. “I’ll see you later. I think I’m going to head over to my house and pick up some stuff.”

“Wait. Keep your phone on. I’ve got an idea to get you out of this.” Quinn shook her head when Santana opened her mouth. “Don’t ask. I need some time. Just wait for my call.”

“That’s hardly fair,” Santana grumbled. “Why don’t you tell me what you’re planning?”

“I’ve got a few trick up my sleeve. That’s all I’m saying.” Quinn walked away, hoping she looked more confident than she felt. She did have an idea and she thought it might work. She’d just have to be willing to deal with someone she really didn’t want to deal with. She arrived at her destination and steadied herself. “Coach. We need to talk.”

\---------------------

Walking to the choir room, Quinn felt a weight had been lifted off of her. Maybe Sue wouldn’t be able to fix it but she was willing try. Sure, it was mostly to stick it to Mr. Schue but still. Santana didn’t deserve a suspension and if Sue could get her out of it, Quinn really didn’t care why.

Once Quinn arrived at the choir room and saw Finn’s smirking face, she had a hard time controlling her temper. She knew attacking him wouldn’t help Santana but she wanted to so badly. Instead, she took a seat next to Mercedes, smiling when the other girl asked if she had talked to Santana. “She’s hanging in there.”

“That’s good.” Mercedes looked like she expected Quinn to say more but she knew better than to reveal too many details. Santana would never forgive her if she did.

Brittany came and sat in and sat in front of them. “Santana said she’s okay but why isn’t she here? Why did she leave?”

Quinn rolled her eyes. “She’s suspended for slapping Finn.”

“What about him?” Brittany demanded.

“Oh, he’ll probably get a parade thrown in his honor.” Quinn closed her mouth when Mr. Schue and Ms. Corcoran came into the room.

“Listen up, guys, Finn’s got something he wants to do.”

“I hope you don’t expect us to combine choirs for Sectionals. Santana wouldn’t stand for that,” Mercedes stated, her eyes focused on Finn.

“Santana is suspended and won’t be competing at Sectionals,” Shelby said, taking note of the defensive stances of Brittany and Mercedes. “But that’s not what this is about. Finn would like us to join together to help Santana.”

“Yeah, she needs support. We all care about her and we should be there for her,” Finn said eagerly. “I think we should sing songs to her. We’re calling it Lady Music Week. Kurt and Blaine already have a song they want to sing.”

“It’s a song we sing in the car to each other to feel better.” Kurt smiled at Blaine, not detecting the dark looks being sent his way.

“Are you kidding me?” Brittany asked with wide eyes. “That’s a ridiculous idea.”

“What? No, she needs, us.” Finn looked at her in confusion.

“No, she needs her friends, which half the people in this room are not,” Quinn retorted, a scowl on her face. “Especially you.”

“Hey, I’m tying to help. I feel bad.”

“Which is the point. That’s what this is about. You feeling bad. Not about Santana feeling better. But you making yourself feel better.” Quinn stalked over to him, hands on her hips.

“She’s right. This is outrageous,” Mercedes spoke up, looking around the room. “Come on, you guys know Santana. She’d hate this. Even without Finn, she’d hate you looking at her, feeling sorry for her.”

“That’s not what this is,” Blaine said.

“It doesn’t matter. Santana’s not here, thank to Finn. But even if she were, she’d want no part of this.” Quinn blew out a breath. “Forget it. You do what you want. But I’m not going to be a part of it.”

When Quinn left the room, Brittany followed her. She leaned against some lockers and looked at her. “You think that’ll do any good?”

“Probably not but I’m not participating in it.” Quinn looked over at her Brittany and nudged her shoulder. “She’s not mad at you.”

“She should be. It’s my fault.”

“No. The person whose fault it is is getting pats on the back for being such a good guy.” Quinn shrugged. “I don’t know what’s going to happen but I talked to Coach Sylvester and she seemed to want to help.”

“Really? What did you have to promise her?” Brittany asked, surprised that Coach would stand up for one of them.

“I think she feels bad about Santana getting tied into her campaign.” Quinn shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t really care why she helps so long as she does.”

“You’re right.” Brittany pushed off the locker. “I don’t know. This is all so stupid. I’m so worried about Santana but I’ve got to deal with Kurt and that stupid election. There’s that debate this afternoon and I don’t even want to go.”

“Don’t talk like that. You should want to be President. You have to do your best. You know Santana wants you to. She’s so proud of you.”

Brittany thought for a moment. “I know you’re right. Plus, beating his brother would be a good way to stick it to Finn.”

Quinn couldn’t stop her laughter. “Yes. Kurt’s such a hypocrite. He talks a good game about not bullying but he’s in the middle of Finn’s Lady Music ridiculousness. I bet he hasn’t even said anything to Finn about Santana.”

“Exactly. I hate how people get on Santana but nobody does anything about Finn.” Brittany sighed, some of the fight going out of her. “I know she’s so difficult but she didn’t deserve what she got.”

“No, she didn’t.” Quinn flashed back to the night before. Santana had looked so small. As they had laid in bed, Santana had let her hold her. It was wonderful, comforting Santana. She’d felt 10 feet tall, like she could do anything. And she wanted to figure out how to help her. It felt like nothing she did was good enough.

“Hey, where’d you go?”

“I was just thinking about Santana. I want to help her.” Quinn flushed, hoping her thoughts about Santana weren’t written all over her face.

“You are. I’m glad you’re there for her since I can’t be. No matter what she says, I know she’s mad at me.” Brittany looked down.

“She’s not, Britt. You’re her best friend,” Quinn assured her. “She doesn’t want you to feel bad. She still adores you.”

“Maybe.”

Quinn smiled, another idea coming to mind. Maybe they couldn’t get to Finn directly but there was someone they could. “I know Santana would want you to defeat Kurt. Can I give you some advice on the debate?”

“Sure.” Brittany grinned. Quinn had the same look that Santana got when she was plotting. It usually meant that she was up to no good and someone was about to get screwed over. Trouble sounded good at that moment.

\-------------

It was a very different Santana who followed Sue into Mr. Figgins’ office. Earlier that day, she’d been terrified of her punishment and resentful of the situation. Now, she was still pissed but she knew Sue had her back. Granted, it probably had less to do with her and more to do with some scam Sue was running but whatever. Santana was willing to ride on her coattails. She sat down and smirked at the confusion on Mr. Schuester’s and Ms. Corcoran’s faces.

“Thanks for coming on such short notice. I’m sure plotting out all those ooos and ahhs takes a lot of time.”

“Save it, Sue. What are you doing here? We settled this mess with Santana this morning,” Will said impatiently.

“Thanks for all the concern about my life,” Santana mumbled, falling silent when Sue glared at her sternly.

“We’re here because I’m concerned about Sandbags here,” Sue began. “Why was she suspended?”

“We have zero tolerance toward physical violence here.” Mr. Figgins sighed edgily. “And it’s none of your business.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. Santana is my head cheerleader.” Sue placed a hand on Santana’s shoulder. “I have a responsibility to stand up for her.”

“I don’t want to lose her for Sectionals either but she has to be punished,” Shelby said.

Sue snorted. “You can be forgiven for your naiveté since you’re new here but I’m no longer going to stand for the double standards. My Hispanic, lesbian captain gets punished when Glee Club’s straight, white male captain is never punished.”

“Excuse me?”

“I think it’s absurd that Finn can start a fist fight at Prom but still compete at Nationals when Santana is disciplined for a slap.” Sue clapped her hands together, enjoying the looks on Figgins and Will’s faces. “No more. I’m going to make a commercial of my own that exposes the horrifying treatment of minorities in this place.”

“You can’t do that,” Mr. Figgins’ eyes widened with fear at the thought of the lawsuit that would follow. “That’s not fair.”

“What’s fair?” Sue mused. “I don’t really care. Santana has agreed to film a spot discussing the hard times she has suffered at this school. Her injuries will play beautifully on camera, don’t you think?”

“You weren’t hurt at school,” Shelby said, the implications hitting her hard.

“Oh, that hardly matters. What matters is perception.”

Will frowned. “Santana why would you do this? Do you really want to be all over TV?”

“Are you kidding? Thanks to Finn, I’m already going to be on TV.” Santana scoffed. “At least with this, I get a tiny bit of control.”

“Sue, what do you want? I assume that’s why you called this meeting instead of just doing what you want.” Mr. Figgins slapped his hands on the table. He just wanted this over with, one way or another.

“It’s simple. I want Santana back at school, participating in her extracurriculars, with no repercussions for the incident.”

Mr. Figgins glanced around the room, feeling a sense of foreboding. He knew when he was beat. “Fine. You’ve got your way.”

“What? That’s not right.” Will looked at Santana. “I realize you’re going through a tough time but-”

“A tough time? Look at me. I don’t see that you give a crap about me.”

“Santana, I-”

“No.” Santana forced herself to take a deep breath. It would do no good to blow up at Shelby. She wasn’t even really angry at her, she barely knew her. She didn’t have any expectations that Shelby cared about her for anything other than her voice. “I don’t need anything from any of you if my suspension’s been lifted. That’s the only thing I care about. Especially since I know you don’t care about me.”

“That’s not true. Both Glee Clubs are planning on supporting you.”

“Forget that.” Santana stood up. She couldn’t contain her anger any longer. “Brittany and Quinn told me about that. We all know that was to make Finn feel like such a good guy and I’m not going to sit through a bunch of people feeling sorry for me to make Finn Hudson feel like a freaking hero.”

Will stood up, too. He took a few steps toward her. “Santana, did it ever occur to you that you push people away? That maybe the reason you don’t have any support right now is because you don’t let anyone in?”

“The last time I let my guard down around you, you kicked me out of Glee Club.” Santana held up a hand, stopping his protests. “I don’t want to get into this. I just want to go now. I assume we’re done?”

“Go on to class, Ms. Lopez.” Mr. Figgins dismissed her, his spirit broken.

“Terrific.” Santana turned to Shelby. “Do we have Troubletones practice this afternoon?”

“No. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Great. Thanks for your help, Coach.”

“No problem, Santana.” Sue slapped her back as she walked out the door.

Will shook his head in disappointment. “Are you proud of yourself? You helped Santana completely avoid the consequences of her actions.”

“Skip the self-righteousness, William. I think that girl has enough trouble in her life without adding a suspension from school to it.” Sue smirked. “And the fact that I got to stick it to you? That’s just a bonus. Bye.”

\------------------

Santana peered suspiciously around the auditorium. “It doesn’t look like anyone’s judging me but I don’t know for sure. Maybe we shouldn’t be here.”

“We both want to support Brittany. Besides, you’re fine. You’re Santana Lopez. Nobody’s going to force you to back down.” Quinn patted Santana’s hand as they took their seats.

“Yeah, yeah.” Santana pursed her lips. “Do you think Brittany’s ready for this? A debate’s different than a speech. I don’t want Kurt making her look brainless.”

“Don’t worry. Brittany’s prepared. I gave her some tips and we talked about a way to make sure Kurt backs off.” Quinn leaned back in her seat, spotting Rachel, Finn and Blaine across the room. They’d likely take offense to Brittany but oh, well. Quinn was past the point of caring. It was about time someone knocked Kurt down a few pegs. She couldn’t stand how self-righteous he could be.

“It’s starting,” Santana said, looking bored. “I can’t believe I’m spending my lunch listening to this. Brittany better appreciate it.”

“I’m sure she does.” Quinn rolled her eyes. “Anyway it’ll be a good show. Just watch.”

The debate was long and tedious. Neither Quinn or Santana could bring herself to care about anything they were saying. They knew they were voting for Brittany and none of the rest of it really mattered. They paid enough attention to know that Brittany was holding her own. She hadn’t exactly slapped him down yet but Kurt wasn’t making her look silly. Finally, Brittany got her chance when Kurt mentioned his stance against bullying. “I know what it’s like to be bullied and that’s something neither of my opponents can say.”

“That’s not exactly fair. I have bullied but you don’t know what I’ve been through .”

Kurt scoffed. “Like you know what it’s like to be bullied? Give me a break. You’re the one who does the bullying.”

“You’re right, Kurt. I have bullied people. So have my friends. But it’s wrong,” Brittany said confidently. “And that’s a big part in stopping it. The bullies have to admit that what they have been doing is wrong.”

“I agree. That’s what I’m saying,” Kurt said slowly. He couldn’t figure out what where Brittany was going with this.

“I think your anti-bullying policies are a good start but we’ve also got to get the bullies to recognize what they’re doing.”

“We’ve got to reach out to bullies? They’re the ones who need help?” Kurt was incredulous. None of this made sense.

“No. But nothing’s going to get done if we don’t start talking to people. Everyone deserves a voice. We don’t know the problems that people have and if we start out by pushing a certain group away because they’re popular or offensive, nothing is going to get done.”

Santana turned to Quinn, a stunned look on her face. “You told her this?”

“A little.” Quinn shook her head. “I wanted to stand up for you and this- this seemed like the best way to do it in front of everyone.”

“Thank you.” Santana kissed her cheek, a warm feeling in her belly.

“I- I don’t understand what you’re saying here,” Kurt sputtered, all the talking points he had in his head slipping away.

Brittany turned to Kurt. “If we accept bullying by our friends, it’s never going to stop. I’ve stopped and most of my friends have, too. That’s my point. No matter who it is, we’ve got to stop bullying.”

“That’s an excellent point.”

“I’m glad you think so, Kurt. But it does make me wonder. If you believe that, why haven’t you spoken out against Finn?” Brittany asked, enjoying it when Kurt’s face lost all of its color.

“Excuse me?”

“Well, your step-brother outted someone and you haven’t said a single thing about it. Don’t you think it’s wrong to out somebody?”

“Of course but-”

“How do you expect to stop bullying at school when you can’t stop it in your family?”

“That’s not exactly what happened. Finn was pushed to his limit by Santana,” Kurt stammered as he tried to figure out a response.

“Oh. So it’s okay to mistreated someone if they deserve it.”

“That’s not what I said.”

“But it’s what you meant.” Brittany paused, remembering what Quinn had said about choosing her words carefully and not saying too much. She looked out into the audience, finding Quinn and Santana holding onto each other and grinning wildly. “I’m not perfect. No one is. But I want to make this school a better place. And I promise, if I’m elected class president, I will do my best to make sure everyone has a voice. Nobody will feel excluded or be made to suffer. We all will be safe. My name is Brittany S. Pierce and I want to be your class president.”

Santana and Quinn shot to their feet, cheering with everyone else. “You’re a genius, Quinn. She’s going to win.”

“Yeah, she is.” Quinn high-fived Santana and then embraced her. She was careful not to hurt her but she had to hold her. She buried her face in Santana’s neck, her heart starting to pound. It shouldn’t feel this good to be close to her friend but she couldn’t help herself. She needed Santana in her arms like she needed air.

\-----------------------

“Where’s your mom?” Santana asked, following Quinn into her house.

“She’s working late tonight. We’re on our own for dinner.” Quinn smiled nervously as she realized that she and Santana were completely alone for the first time in a while. That could be a problem with all of the thoughts swirling around her mind lately.

“It’s fine. I don’t expect her to feed me. It’s nice enough she’s letting me stay here.” Santana bit her lip, wondering why Quinn wouldn’t look at her. “Are you sure it’s okay? Does she want me gone? Is that why you won’t look at me?”

“No. That’s not it.” Quinn’s eyes widened with panic. She was nervous but she didn’t want Santana to feel unwanted. “My mom doesn’t care and I- I’m glad you’re here. It’s been so long since we’ve had alone time.”

Santana started at Quinn, searching for any sign of deception. When she didn’t find any, she breathed a sigh of relief. “It has been a long time but I’ve missed you. A lot. Maybe it’s good we’ve got some time together.”

“Yeah.” Quinn blushed, avoiding Santana’s eyes once again. “Why don’t you go shower and I’ll make us something to eat?”

“You cook?”

“A little bit.” Quinn headed to the kitchen. “Go relax and I’ll see you soon.”

“Okay.” Santana grabbed a tank top and shorts and went to the bathroom. She grew frustrated when she realized she tried to take off her uniform and couldn’t manage it. The stupid cast prevented her from unzipping. She was helpless and hated it. Tears fill her eyes and she hit the wall. She couldn’t call Quinn, she didn’t want to look weak. There was nothing she could do. She decided to sit down until something occurred to her.

\-------------

After putting bread in the over, Quinn went upstairs to change her clothes. When she passed the bathroom, she realized the shower wasn’t on. She checked the guest room and didn’t find Santana. Slightly worried, she knocked on the bathroom door. Santana grumbled something Quinn couldn’t understand and she decided to go in. “Santana? Are you okay? I thought you were taking a shower.”

“I changed my mind. Don’t come in. I’ll be out in a second.”

“Not likely.” Quinn pushed her way in, a knot forming in her stomach when she saw Santana’s tears and the clothes on the floor. “What happened?”

“I can’t unzip.” Santana wouldn’t meet Quinn’s eyes.

“Stand up.” Quinn swallowed hard when Santana turned her back to her. She was going to undress Santana. Oh, boy. She attempted to focus on the task at hand and not how much she wanted to touch her. “How’d you get dressed this morning?”

“I don’t remember.” Santana was quiet as Quinn removed her sling and maneuvered her uniform off.

“You could’ve asked for help. I don’t mind.” Quinn used a finger to trace Santana’s spine. Her skin was so soft. Quinn was practically hypnotized by it. Tearing her eyes away, she moved in front of Santana, carefully pulling the tank top on. It was difficult to get Santana dressed without staring at inappropriate places.

“I don’t like to ask for help. I don’t want to have to depend on anyone.” Santana tried to catch Quinn’s eye but the other girl wouldn’t meet her gaze.

“You can depend on me, Santana. Whatever you need.”

“Really? Because you won’t even look at me.”

“I can.” Quinn sank to her knees so that she could pull Santana’s shorts on, keeping eye contact with Santana the whole way. She hoped it wasn’t obvious how she felt. Santana didn’t need a friend with a crazy attraction to her. She needed somebody who wouldn’t let her down. And while Quinn may have failed her many times before, she wouldn’t now.

“I…” Santana trailed off once she glimpsed the heat in Quinn’s eyes. She’d never looked at her like this before. She couldn’t look away, even though she knew she should. That hungry look in Quinn’s eyes didn’t necessarily mean she felt the same things Santana felt. She had to stop, she couldn’t afford to lose another person in her life. Her dad was confused, her brothers were disgusted, and her mother hated her. The woman had shoved her down a flight of stairs rather than talk to her. She wouldn’t push another person she cared about away from her.

“All done,” Quinn said, standing up. It felt like that a taken an hour just to pull on some shorts. She knew her face was red but she made herself focus on Santana and not her own feelings. “Oh. You were supposed to take a shower. I forget about that.”

“It’s okay. It’d probably be more trouble than it’s worth.” Santana glanced away, not seeing the way Quinn’s face fell.

“Oh. Okay.” Quinn groaned inwardly. Santana must have noticed her leering and didn’t want to be in the shower with her this close. “I’ll go back downstairs. Food should be ready any minute now. Come down when you’re ready. If you want.”

“Wait. Is something wrong?” Santana asked as she watched Quinn dart for the door.

“No. of course not. I’ll see you in a bit.”

Santana stared as Quinn rushed from the room. It took her a minute to process what happened. Quinn must have picked up on her attraction to her and it made her uncomfortable. Of courses. She always did this. She always wrecked the best things she had in her life.

\------------------

They ate in silence, both Quinn and Santana sneaking looks at each other. It was unbearable but neither girl wanted to be the first to speak. They both were afraid of ruining their friendship. Eventually, Santana grew tired of the indecision and spoke up. “Look, I know I’m an idiot who pushed too hard but you can’t hate me, okay? I need you, Quinn. I need you so much.”

“What? I don’t hate you. Why would you think that?”

“You ran out of the bathroom like you were horrified. And now you’ll barely look at me, again.” Santana sniffled, hating the tears that filled her eyes. “It’s because I scared you. I liked it when you touched me.”

“No, I wasn’t scared.”

Santana squeezed her eyes shut., rubbing them with her fists. “I’m not stupid. You don’t have to spare my feelings. I know I freaked you out.”

“You didn’t.” Quinn dragged her chair closer to Santana’s, taking a breath. “I freaked out but not because of you. Because of me.”

“What?” Santana was miserable and completely confused. Why did this always happen? Why did she always feel this pull of attraction that destroyed her life?

“I ran away because I enjoyed getting you dressed, touching you. In a way a friend really wouldn’t.” Quinn blushed and looked away. Even the Santana had sort of said that the feelings were mutual, she couldn’t quite bring herself to really believe it.

“No. You’re just saying that so I don’t feel bad.” Santana shook her head.

“Listen to me.”

“No, you don’t-”

Realizing that Santana was too stubborn to really hear her, Quinn leaned over and kissed her. It was barely a kiss, a simple press of lips but she thought it got her point across. “Do you get it now?”

“Why did you do that?” Santana asked, bringing a finger to her lips.

“Because you wouldn’t listen to me. And I wanted to.”

“No. No, no, no.” Santana stood up, backing away from Quinn. “You don’t mean that.”

“Stop. Damn it, Santana. When have I ever spared your feelings?” Quinn stalked across the kitchen, backing Santana up until she was pinned against the wall.

“Why are you doing this? You don’t-”

“I do.” Quinn cupped Santana’s face in one hand, using her other to keep her body in place. “I don’t know when it happened, if it was always there or something new but it’s there. You’re beautiful and smart and funny and tough. You’re everything I always wanted, just not in the package it expected it would be in.”

“See? Whatever you think your feelings are, it’s not real.” Santana closed her eyes, hoping Quinn would just leave it alone.

“Open your eyes, Santana.” When she refused, Quinn shook her head with a soft smile on her face. Of course, Santana wouldn’t make it easy on her. “I can’t promise that I won’t hurt you. But I do know how I feel right now. I want you and I care about you. I think this could be really special.”

Santana finally looked at Quinn, unable to understand what she was saying. “Do you get what this is? It’s not easy.”

“Of course it’s not easy. We’re impulsive, hot-tempered people. It’s going to be messy. But I want you.” Quinn stared openly at Santana, hoping she’d be able to see that Quinn meant every word.

“You say that but you’ve never been with a woman before. How do I know you’re sure about this?” Santana finally voiced her biggest fear.

“Oh. Is that what you’re afraid of? That we’ll start something and I’ll freak out?” Quinn waited for Santana to nod. “I’m not going to freak. This is real. I am actually attracted to you. As for the rest of it- You know my parents. They kicked me out when I got pregnant, this would cause a massive argument. I kind of assumed I’d wait until college to do anything about it.”

Santana ran through Quinn’s words. It made sense what she was saying but Santana didn’t quite believe it. “I don’t know.”

“Look, if you don’t want this, just say it. I’m not going to abandon you. I’ll always be your friend.” Quinn rubbed her nose against Santana’s. “I just think we could be so much more.”

“I don’t know,” Santana repeated. “I want you, too, but-”

“Oh, come on. We’re going in circles here.” Quinn captured Santana’s lips. Their lips met sweetly in a slow, tender caress that quickly turned into something more. Their mouths opened, tongues met, hands wandered. Quinn’s hands probed Santana’s body delicately, almost branding her. She’d never gotten lost in a kiss like this before.

“Wow.” Santana was in daze when Quinn finally pulled away.

“Believe me now?” Quinn asked teasingly.

“Yeah, I do.” Santana allowed Quinn to take her into the living room. She climbed onto Quinn’s lap, resting her head on her chest. “You know this is the easy part, right?”

“I know.” Quinn played with Santana’s hair as they talked. “But we’ll figure it out. We’ve both had tough lives, we can figure this out. Together.”

“This is going to sound stupid, considering the commercial but I don’t think I can walk around school holding your hand.” Santana held her breath as she waited for Quinn’s response.

“That’s fine. I don’t particularly want to push things with my mom, either. Especially when things are so new between us.” Quinn pressed her cheek to Santana’s hair.

“We’re agreed, this is just ours for now? No one needs to know?” Santana lifted her head, her eyes twinkling when they met Quinn’s.

“Yeah, it’s ours.” Quinn kissed her once again and those were the last words spoken for a while. They had talked enough for now.

\--------------

The next day was sunny and cloudless. That was a good sign, Quinn thought. “You nervous?”

“No. I should be asking you that. You know that there are going to be rumors about any female who is near me.” Despite her words, Santana was grateful that Quinn stayed by her side.

“There’s always rumors. I don’t care. It’s me and you, Santana.” Quinn grinned and they made their way into school, ready to handle anything the world threw at them.


End file.
